Sen. Mark Kirk highlights anti-gang initiative during Rockford visit

Wednesday

Aug 28, 2013 at 12:01 AMAug 28, 2013 at 4:48 PM

ROCKFORD — U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk touted a $19.5 million provision in an appropriations bill during a visit to Rockford Wednesday that would work to beef up the federal government’s battle against criminal street gangs.

Jeff Kolkey

ROCKFORD — U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk touted a $19.5 million anti-criminal gang provision in an appropriations bill during a visit Wednesday in Rockford .

The Republican Illinois senator said he is hopeful that the money would be “used to destroy” dangerous street gangs that earn money from violence and drugs.

“Rockford needs new federal law enforcement help to take out its biggest gangs,” Kirk said.

The local officials told Kirk that guns, gangs and drugs generate most of the violent crime problem in the region.

Kirk cited teamwork with U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL., for the inclusion of anti-gang legislation inside a much larger $52.3 billion Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill approved last month by a Senate Appropriations Committee. Durbin appeared in Rockford and encouraged the creation a violent crime task force that partners local police with federal and state agents.

The appropriations bill includes $176 million in additional funds for COPS grants that can be used to hire new officers, a $12 million increase in law enforcement assistance grants aimed at curbing gang violence and a $100 million in additional money for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to hire 160 additional agents nationally and create violent crime response teams.

It’s unclear how much of the money would be spent in Illinois or in Rockford, but it would be directed toward the ATF, Department of Justice and the U.S. Marshals Service.

But because Illinois is ranked as among the states with the highest number of gangsters per capita, it is likely it would receive a significant share of anti-gang funding, Kirk said.

“When we coordinate and collaborate our efforts with a local, state and federal approach to addressing these issues, we are bound to make much more progress so putting funding in from the federal level into these support services would be instrumental,” Meyers said.

Epperson agreed with Kirk that federal sentences are often tougher on convicted felons because they are likely to do time out-of-state.

“Actions have consequences and anytime the federal government can increase its capacity to take on more of our violent crime initiatives in Rockford is welcome,” Epperson said.